(P19-27-26) Executive Function Moderates the Association Between Food Insecurity Exposure and Uncontrolled Eating Among First-Year College Students

Objectives: The transition to college may increase the risk of food insecurity (FI) and maladaptive eating behaviors, including uncontrolled eating (UE), lack of control over high food intake, among first-year students. The ability to regulate eating behaviors under constrained resources may be associated with executive function (EF), high-level cognitive skills for managing daily tasks. Yet, whether changes in FI over the first college semester may correlate with UE and whether EF moderates the association have not been examined. This study tested whether FI during the first semester was associated with the development of UE and whether EF moderated this association.

Methods: Participants were first-year full-time undergraduate students (n=560, 67% female, 56.3% White) from Fall 2023 to Fall 2025. Students completed surveys before arrival on campus (T1) and mid-semester (T2). FI was assessed using the Adult Food Security Survey Module and categorized as “any” or “never” FI across both timepoints. At T2, students completed the UE scale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R-18 for UE and BRIEF-A for EF. Analyses used UE scaled-scores and EF T-scores including Global Executive Composite (GEC), Metacognition Index (MI) and Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), with higher scores indicating greater UE and worse EF. Multivariable imputation was used for missing data. Multivariate linear regression and moderation analyses were used to examine associations of FI and US and moderation by EF, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, parental education, and perceived stress.

Results: Over time, 79% of students (n=407) were food secure (FS) and 21% (n=153) experienced FI at T1 and/or T2. Any FI was associated with higher UE at T2 (β=8.15, SE=2.26, p< .001) compared to FS, and EF significantly moderated the association, such that worse EF predicted higher UE among any FI than FS students.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that any exposure to FI may increase UE among first-year college students, particularly among those with lower EF. Screening for FI may be essential to tailor UE interventions and promote healthy development among first-year students.

Funding Sources: No external funding